South Florida man charged with animal cruelty after dumping toxic brew into koi pond at Aventura Mall, police
MIAMI -- A South Florida man is facing nearly two dozen charges of animal cruelty after he allegedly poured a lethal compound of chemicals into an Aventura Mall pond, resulting in the death of over 20 koi fish, according to court documents.
Canin Sanders, 30, of Miami Gardens, was being held on a $30,000 bond after being charged with 20 counts of second-degree animal cruelty, criminal mischief and resisting an officer without violence, according to an arrest affidavit.
It was not immediately clear if he had posted bond as of Friday evening or if he was still in custody.
According to investigators, witnesses on Thursday saw Sanders around 12:30 p.m. pour a mixture of alcohol, bleach and soap into the pond, which contained 50 of the pricey koi fish, each of which can cost $1,000 a piece.
The police report said Sanders was also captured on surveillance camera dumping the chemical compound into the pond at the high-end mall, located at 19501 Biscayne Blvd in Aventura.
After the toxic compound was poured into the first-floor pond, which is located behind the mall's central elevators, several of the fish floated to the surface, turned sideways and appeared to be struggling to breathe, according to police.
Witnesses said the man was touching the fish as they began floating to the surface while gasping for air.
As mall employees arrived at the scene, Sanders walked quickly away from the scene but was taken into custody by the entrance near the Zara store, the police report says.
In addition to the $20,000 loss incurred by the death of the fish, mall officials told police it would cost $5,000 to clean the enclosure and care for the surviving fish.
Mall officials issued a written statement about the incident.
"Yesterday, someone put foreign substances into our Koi Pond and was arrested by Aventura Police. Our team worked immediately to remove most of the fish from the pond and has been working continuously with Miami Dade Animal Services. Fortunately, many of the fish were saved, and the teams continue to monitor their health and maintain the pond."
According to online sources, koi fish -- or more specifically nishikigoi -- are colored varieties of the Amur carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens.
The fish typically have a lifespan between 25 and 35 years.